WES 



tlie weftern fide of the county ; though great quantities are 

 ufed in the country, yet much of the better fort is fen t to 

 London, Liverpool, Hull, and other large fea-ports. Beds 

 of lime-ilone are generally incumbent on beds of flate. 



The buildings of Weftmoreland are diilinguilhed for their 

 neat appearance. The houfes are moftly built with lime- 

 ftone, or blue rag ; thatched roofs are common, but flate 

 is more generally ufed. In farm buildings, the barn is 

 ufually built upon the cow-houfe and liable, a, method 

 which requires the flope of a hill, as carts are carried along 

 a level on one fide into the barn. As very little corn or 

 hay is ftacked without, the barns are necel^arily very 

 fpacious. There are many noblemen's and gentlemen's feats 

 in this county ; and alfo fome pleafant villas which ornament 

 the borders of the lakes. 



The commerce of Weftmoreland is not extenfive. Its 

 exports are chiefly a coarfe woollen cloth, ftockings, Hates, 

 tanned hides, gunpowder, hoops, charcoal, hams, wool, fheep, 

 and cattle. 



The manufaftures of the county confift of filk and 

 worfted waiftcoat-pieces, knit worfted ftockings, flannels, 

 tanned leather, and gunpowder. 



Formerly the whole county was governed by military 

 tenure, ;'. e. by homage, fealty, and cornage, " which lalt 

 drew after it wardfliip, marriage, and 'relief ; and the fervice 

 of this tenure was military fervice." Cornage appears to 

 have been peculiar to the border-fervice againft the Scots. 

 Cornage, horngeld, and noutgeld, were probably fynony- 

 raous, and implied annual payments of horned cattle, to 

 provifion the garrifons. The lord's rent was called white- 

 rent, probably from its being paid in filver. Scutage, or 

 fervice of the fliield, was another compenfation in money, 

 inftead of perfonal fervice againft the Scots. 



Some veins of copper ore have been found and worked in 

 different parts of the county ; but the produft has not 

 been found fufBcient to defray the expence of workmanftiip. 

 Before the year 1704, great quantities of had were found 

 near Hartley. Some mines at Dunfell have proved very 

 produftive of this metal for many years, but latterly there 

 has not been much ore found. At Dufton are fome rich 

 and produftive lead mines, belonging to the earl of Thanet. 

 There are fome conliderable mines at Greenfide, near 

 Paterdale, and at feveral other places in the county. This 

 metal is obtained in various quantities. 



Crofs-fell, the higheft of the chain of mountains which 

 extend along the eaftern frontiers of the county of Weft- 

 moreland and Cumberland, is faid by Robinfon, in his 

 Nat\iral Hiftory of the County, to have been formerly 

 called Fiend's-fell, from evil fpirits which are faid in 

 former times to have haunted its fummit, and continued 

 their haunts and nofturnal vagaries upon it until St. Auftin, 

 as is reported, eretled a crofs, and built an altar upon it, 

 whereon he offered the Holy Eucharift, by which he coun- 

 tercharmed thofc hellilh fiends, and difturbed their haunts. 

 Since that time it has been named Crofs-fell ; and unto this 

 time there is a heap of ftones on the fummit, which bears 

 the name of Crofs-fell. 



Upon this and the adjoining mountains occurs the pheno- 

 menon, called the Helm-wind; which, in fpite of St. Auftin's 

 charms, continues its vagaries on its ancient haunts. It is 

 peculiar to this diftrift, and the confines of Lancaftiire and 

 Yorkftiire, about Ingleborrow, Pendle, and Penigent. It 

 alfo occurs on Wildboar-fell, in Ravenftonedale ; and is 

 moft prevalent in the months from Odlober to April. The 

 appearances attendmg it are a whitifh cloud hanging half 

 way down the mountains, bat keeping an exaft parallclifm 

 with every plane, depreflion, and elevation of their lops, 



W E S 



which It covers as with a helmet. Above this appears the 

 blue flcy, and then a white cloud, called the helm-bar, from 

 an idea that it repreffes the fury of the ftorm : it continues 

 in a tremulous agitated motion till it difperfes ; and then 

 the hurricane iflues forth, roaring along the fides of the hills, 

 and frequently extending two or three miles from their fides. 

 The following are the heights of the principal mountains, 

 as afcertained by Mr. Dalton. Helvdlyn is 1070 yards 

 high. A deep drift of fnow was feen on this mountain 

 on the 1 2th of July, 181 2. Bowfell and Rydal-head are 

 each 1030 yards in height. The High-ftreet is 912 yards 

 high. On its fummit are annual horfe-races, and other 

 fports, on the loth of July, to which every one brings 

 the fheep that have ftrayed into their heathing-ground, for 

 their owners to challenge. 



It appears that different grammar-fchools were eftablifhcd 

 in this county previous to the diflolution. Edward VI. 

 was patron of the fchool at Kendal ; and queen Elizabeth 

 founded fchools at Appleby, Kirkby Stephen, and Kirkby 

 Lonfdale. From thefe feminaries many learned men have 

 been diftributed over England, fome of whom have obtained 

 eminence in the literary world. They have alfo contributed 

 towards the eftablifhment of other public fchools in the 

 county. Seminaries are, therefore, eftabliflied in nearly 

 every village in WeftmorelaKd. — The Hiftory and Anti- 

 quities of the Counties of Weftmoreland and Cumberland, 

 by Jofeph Nicholfon, efq. and Richard Burn, LL.D. 

 2 vols. 4to. 1778. An Eft'ay towards a Natural Hiftory 

 of \yeftmoreland and Cumberland, by the Rev. Tlwmas 

 Robinfon, 8vo. 1709. General View of the Agriculture of 

 the County, by Andrew Pringle, 410. 1794. Obferva- 

 tions relative chiefly to Pidurefque I3eauty of the Moun- 

 tains and Lakes of Weftmoreland and Cumberland, by the 

 Rev. Wilham Gilpin, 2 vols. 8vo. 1788. A Survey of the 

 Lakes, by James Clarke, folio. 



Westmokeland, a poft-townflilp of New York, in 

 Oneida county; 10 miles W. of Utica, and 107 miles from 

 Albany. Its waters are fmall ; its furface very level, but 

 the foil is very rich and fertile. It has a church for Con- 

 gregationalifts, and a competent number of common fchools. 

 In 1810, the population was 1 135, and the feuatorial elec- 

 tors were 141. — Alfo, a county of Pennfylvania, containing 

 26,392 inhabitants, of whom 20 are flaves. — Alfo, a county 

 of Virginia, containing 8102 inhabitants, of whom 4080 

 are flaves. — Alfo, a townfhip of New Hampfliire, in the 

 county of Chefhire, on the E. bank of the ConneClicut, 

 containing 1937 inhabitants ; 5 miles N. of Chefterfield. 



WEST NANTMILL, a townfliip of Pennfylvania, in 

 the county of Chefter, with 1188 inhabitants. 



WEST NORTHERN LIBERTIES, a town of 

 Pennfylvania, in the county of Philadelphia, containing 

 9795 inhabitants. — Alfo, a townfhip of the fame, contain- 

 ing 168 inhabitants. 



WEST NOTTINGHAM, a townftiip of Pennfylvania, 

 in the county of Chefter, with 642 inhabitants. 



WESTOE, a townfhip of Durham, with 2900 inhabit- 

 ants ; 2 miles S. of Shields. 



"W^ESTON, a townfhip of Connefticut, in the county of 

 Fairfield, with 2618 inhabitants; S. of Fairfield. — Alfo, a 

 town of Vermont, in the county of Windfor, containing 

 629 inhabitants ; 30 miles N.N. E. of Bennington. — Alfo, 

 a town of the ftate of Maffachufetts, in the county of 

 Middlefex, containing 1008 inhabitants; 12 miles W. of 

 Bofton. 



WEST PENNSBOROUGH, a townfhip of Pennfyl- 

 vania, in the county of Cumberland, witli 1264 inhabitants. 



WESTPHALIA, a circle of Germany, bouuded on 



the 



